South African smartphone users on Vodacom’s network use an average of 253MB/month each, while tablet users consume an average 743MB/month each, the mobile operator has revealed.
In the financial year ended 31 March 2014, Vodacom increased the number of smartphones and tablets on its network by 23,5% to 7,8m.
“Demand for mobile data continues to be a key growth driver,” says CEO Shameel Joosub.
Data traffic in South Africa increased by 80,4% in comparison to the 2013 financial year.
According to Vodacom, service revenue grew by 0,3%, an improvement on a contraction in 2013. Excluding lower mobile termination rates — the inter-network fees operators charge each other to carry calls between their networks — service revenue grew by 3%.
Vodacom’s active South African customer base increased by 8% to 31,5m.
The operator claims it is taking “major steps” to reduce the cost to communicate. It says that in the 2014 financial year, it brought down its prepaid average effective price per minute by 23,6% to 55c and its average effective price per megabyte of data by 24,8%. — (c) 2014 NewsCentral Media